More Hope, More Change
"You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine; Just own the night, like the Fourth of July..." - Katy Perry
...Or the Sixth of November. Why on this eve of Election Day am I posting Katy Perry lyrics instead of something political? Well, a few reasons:
The first is that this weekend, "Firework" *became* a political song... Yes, this does bother me on some level, but right now, I'm happy to know that Katy is willing to stand up for human rights. After all, what is "Firework" anyway but an anthem for the outcasts? Which Presidential candidate stands for the outcasts? It's a natural connection. Perhaps that's why I couldn't resist going to the Katy Perry/Barack Obama rally in Milwaukee on Saturday. It was an experience unlike any I'd ever had before... I had never seen the President speak live. I had seen it on TV, and I skipped going to see him last time he was in town... But I'm a sucker for Katy. I've seen her in concert, and she is an excellent performer, so I figured if I went, at the very least I would get a good musical show.
I got to the rally at 11:15am and the line already snaked around over 20 city blocks... It was still growing longer than its original end point by the time I got inside! Better yet, everyone was very polite and kind to one another. I helped an elderly man pick up things he dropped, but that's just who I am. More importantly, I witnessed a woman give another person's child a muffin just because she had one. I watched people speak to each other and laugh, acting like they had known each other for years even though they had just met. It was an amazing display of humanity. At final count, there were over 20,000 people who showed up... And only three Romney supporters. Interestingly enough, the only person who the police had to deal with was one of them. He was trying to start a fight with the people in line, but they were having none of it.
The second reason for my song choice is that Katy Perry and Barack Obama share something very special to me: They both inspire me. Both of them came to my attention in 2008, and both had a very profound effect on me (though the effect from Katy didn't fully take hold until her second album came out in 2010). Both of them stand for the underdog... Because both of them have BEEN the underdog, and both have risen above it to become great successes. Katy came from a home where she wasn't even allowed to listen to secular music, and rose to become one of the most popular recording artists of a generation. Obama came from a poor background where he was raised by a single mom, and rose to become President of the United States (but hey, the only successful parents are one man and one woman, right? Right??). So this really was a natural pairing. I had read interviews with Katy in the past from when she was first getting into politics. Keep in mind, being married as she was for a year to Russell Brand, Katy spent a lot of time in England... Seeing their health care system and human rights probably drove her to become a liberal here - Because their system works, and it will be Obama that will be our best hope for implementing that sort of thing here. I admit I was surprised when Katy became so open about her political views, but I sadly have to admit that it was very relieving to find out an artist I love shared my views. More on that another time.
The point I must make here is that seeing Katy and Obama together was one of the most incredibly inspiring moments of my life so far. That's not to say the rest of the rally wasn't uplifting as well... I also got to see speeches from Tom Barrett, Herb Kohl, and Tammy Baldwin, among others I didn't know. All of them were amazing public speakers. I'm not a Democrat; I'm an unaffiliated liberal; but they sure know how to work a crowd! The things they were saying simply made sense. After these speeches came Katy, who put on a great show, even if the room was set up such that you could either see her well or hear her well but not both (the positioning of the stage vs. the speakers was atrocious). She performed a cover song I didn't recognize, followed by "Teenage Dream," then "Part of Me." She stopped to ask that we all donate for Hurricane Sandy relief before continuing into "Wide Awake." Katy then went on to explain that she was voting for Obama because he believed in equal rights for everyone. It's been no secret that the current Republican platform wants to deny human rights, and she wouldn't stand for that. I for one agree with her completely. She then closed out with "Firework," which as I said, is an anthem for the outcasts - The people who need Obama in office the most.
Then came the President. The modern, science-following, human-rights-supporting, education-valuing President. He didn't come out to "Hail to the Chief," he came out to rock music. He then spoke for about half an hour about his plan for the country, and how his goal is to be more like Bill Clinton. He spoke about gay rights, and women's rights, and how politicians should have no say in these things. He spoke about college and how it was too expensive, about how he believes in science and wants it to move forward. It was brought up earlier in the rally that Wisconsin's motto was already "Forward," and that matches with his vision. He said how he didn't want to screw over a middle class family just so that he could give himself a tax cut. But most importantly to me? Obama pointed out what I've been saying for a long time: The current political climate is designed to make people tired... Most politicians want to retain the status quo, and just make the general populace no longer care. But he doesn't want that. He outright said he'd work with Republicans who are willing to work with him, and has dealt with Democrats that have been roadblocks to progress as well. He said partisan politics was stupid and tiring and he didn't like it either. Near the end, I managed to get up to a guard railing and get about ten feet away from him as he left. I didn't actually get to shake his hand (though some people did), but it was still a very chilling and powerful moment. Will anything he said actually come to pass? I say yes, because a lot of what he promised already has.
The third and final reason I opened this post with "Firework?" Because we need to light up the voting booths tomorrow. Liberals are passionate, but conservatives tend to vote in greater numbers. If we want to win this thing, every single liberal or left-leaning moderate is going to need to vote. The election is close, and facts are not playing a very prominent role in it. So please, go out and vote, and I hope you vote for Obama. While he's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, he's the best option that we've got right now, and I do think he's a fairly honest and decent man. He's not the typical politician... While some of his decisions were not great, at least I can see the logic he used to make them. I for one still believe in him.
Obama promised change, and he delivered. Granted, it wasn't as much as we had hoped (yet), but it did in fact happen. As I said, I don't agree with everything the man has done, but at least he's been trying. That's more than I can say for most politicians, and I for one would vote for Obama tomorrow if I could. But I can't, because I already did it last week. Like many other liberals, I took the initiative and voted early. Now it's your turn. I probably sound like I'm pandering by this point, but please, when you vote tomorrow (if you didn't already), consider your options... I believe Barack Obama should be given the chance to finish what he has started. I hope you believe this as well.
Be a Firework tomorrow - GO AND VOTE!
The first is that this weekend, "Firework" *became* a political song... Yes, this does bother me on some level, but right now, I'm happy to know that Katy is willing to stand up for human rights. After all, what is "Firework" anyway but an anthem for the outcasts? Which Presidential candidate stands for the outcasts? It's a natural connection. Perhaps that's why I couldn't resist going to the Katy Perry/Barack Obama rally in Milwaukee on Saturday. It was an experience unlike any I'd ever had before... I had never seen the President speak live. I had seen it on TV, and I skipped going to see him last time he was in town... But I'm a sucker for Katy. I've seen her in concert, and she is an excellent performer, so I figured if I went, at the very least I would get a good musical show.
I got to the rally at 11:15am and the line already snaked around over 20 city blocks... It was still growing longer than its original end point by the time I got inside! Better yet, everyone was very polite and kind to one another. I helped an elderly man pick up things he dropped, but that's just who I am. More importantly, I witnessed a woman give another person's child a muffin just because she had one. I watched people speak to each other and laugh, acting like they had known each other for years even though they had just met. It was an amazing display of humanity. At final count, there were over 20,000 people who showed up... And only three Romney supporters. Interestingly enough, the only person who the police had to deal with was one of them. He was trying to start a fight with the people in line, but they were having none of it.
The second reason for my song choice is that Katy Perry and Barack Obama share something very special to me: They both inspire me. Both of them came to my attention in 2008, and both had a very profound effect on me (though the effect from Katy didn't fully take hold until her second album came out in 2010). Both of them stand for the underdog... Because both of them have BEEN the underdog, and both have risen above it to become great successes. Katy came from a home where she wasn't even allowed to listen to secular music, and rose to become one of the most popular recording artists of a generation. Obama came from a poor background where he was raised by a single mom, and rose to become President of the United States (but hey, the only successful parents are one man and one woman, right? Right??). So this really was a natural pairing. I had read interviews with Katy in the past from when she was first getting into politics. Keep in mind, being married as she was for a year to Russell Brand, Katy spent a lot of time in England... Seeing their health care system and human rights probably drove her to become a liberal here - Because their system works, and it will be Obama that will be our best hope for implementing that sort of thing here. I admit I was surprised when Katy became so open about her political views, but I sadly have to admit that it was very relieving to find out an artist I love shared my views. More on that another time.
The point I must make here is that seeing Katy and Obama together was one of the most incredibly inspiring moments of my life so far. That's not to say the rest of the rally wasn't uplifting as well... I also got to see speeches from Tom Barrett, Herb Kohl, and Tammy Baldwin, among others I didn't know. All of them were amazing public speakers. I'm not a Democrat; I'm an unaffiliated liberal; but they sure know how to work a crowd! The things they were saying simply made sense. After these speeches came Katy, who put on a great show, even if the room was set up such that you could either see her well or hear her well but not both (the positioning of the stage vs. the speakers was atrocious). She performed a cover song I didn't recognize, followed by "Teenage Dream," then "Part of Me." She stopped to ask that we all donate for Hurricane Sandy relief before continuing into "Wide Awake." Katy then went on to explain that she was voting for Obama because he believed in equal rights for everyone. It's been no secret that the current Republican platform wants to deny human rights, and she wouldn't stand for that. I for one agree with her completely. She then closed out with "Firework," which as I said, is an anthem for the outcasts - The people who need Obama in office the most.
Then came the President. The modern, science-following, human-rights-supporting, education-valuing President. He didn't come out to "Hail to the Chief," he came out to rock music. He then spoke for about half an hour about his plan for the country, and how his goal is to be more like Bill Clinton. He spoke about gay rights, and women's rights, and how politicians should have no say in these things. He spoke about college and how it was too expensive, about how he believes in science and wants it to move forward. It was brought up earlier in the rally that Wisconsin's motto was already "Forward," and that matches with his vision. He said how he didn't want to screw over a middle class family just so that he could give himself a tax cut. But most importantly to me? Obama pointed out what I've been saying for a long time: The current political climate is designed to make people tired... Most politicians want to retain the status quo, and just make the general populace no longer care. But he doesn't want that. He outright said he'd work with Republicans who are willing to work with him, and has dealt with Democrats that have been roadblocks to progress as well. He said partisan politics was stupid and tiring and he didn't like it either. Near the end, I managed to get up to a guard railing and get about ten feet away from him as he left. I didn't actually get to shake his hand (though some people did), but it was still a very chilling and powerful moment. Will anything he said actually come to pass? I say yes, because a lot of what he promised already has.
The third and final reason I opened this post with "Firework?" Because we need to light up the voting booths tomorrow. Liberals are passionate, but conservatives tend to vote in greater numbers. If we want to win this thing, every single liberal or left-leaning moderate is going to need to vote. The election is close, and facts are not playing a very prominent role in it. So please, go out and vote, and I hope you vote for Obama. While he's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, he's the best option that we've got right now, and I do think he's a fairly honest and decent man. He's not the typical politician... While some of his decisions were not great, at least I can see the logic he used to make them. I for one still believe in him.
Obama promised change, and he delivered. Granted, it wasn't as much as we had hoped (yet), but it did in fact happen. As I said, I don't agree with everything the man has done, but at least he's been trying. That's more than I can say for most politicians, and I for one would vote for Obama tomorrow if I could. But I can't, because I already did it last week. Like many other liberals, I took the initiative and voted early. Now it's your turn. I probably sound like I'm pandering by this point, but please, when you vote tomorrow (if you didn't already), consider your options... I believe Barack Obama should be given the chance to finish what he has started. I hope you believe this as well.
Be a Firework tomorrow - GO AND VOTE!
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